Alberto Contador to miss Il Lombardia with illness

Flu prevents Alberto Contador from riding in Tinkoff's final WorldTour race at Il Lombardia on Saturday

Alberto Contador on stage 17 of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana (Watson)

(Image credit: Watson)

Alberto Contador will not race Il Lombardia on Saturday after withdrawing from the race with illness.

The Spaniard, who will leave Tinkoff at the end of the season for Trek-Segafredo, announced on Twitter that flu will prevent him from being on the start line in Como.

"Farewell to Il Lombardia," Contador wrote, "after preparing and taking care of myself, flu prevents me from [racing]. Good luck in the last WorldTour race Tinkoff."

Rafal Majka is the last-minute replacement for Contador, but the Pole admitted on his Facebook page that he is not in a condition to challenge for the win in Bergamo.

"It's definitely going to be my last race of the season," he wrote. "I feel tired and my legs definitely aren't the way they the were during the Tour de France and the Olympics in Rio. My goal is to help the Tinkoff boys to obtain the best possible outcome."

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Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.